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Curried Lentils and Veg

Brian Sipotz • May 12, 2017

This recipe came together because I found these really cool black lentils at my local bulk foods store, and I had to use them in something! I have used Thai black rice before and it makes for a nice contrast with anything white. So I grabbed some riced cauliflower out of the freezer, diced up some peppers, and threw them all in a bowl to make this cool looking (and tasty) 20-minute dinner solution.

We as humans are drawn to contrasting and multicolored foods.  Why do you think Fruity Pebbles and Skittles opted to be manufactured in rainbow colors? To us, meals that are colorful are much more attractive. Think of it this way. Which of these meals looks more appetizing?

1. Boiled chicken Breast, cauliflower, mashed potatoes

2. Grilled chicken breast, asparagus, sweet potato

Both have the standard meat, veggie, and starch, but most people would choose the second plate if both of these were being served in a cafeteria line. The truth is, we are hardwired to be attracted to colorful food because that means there are very different nutrient profiles in each of those foods. We know inherently that we need a wide array of vitamins and minerals in our diet, and seeking out foods with different colors gives us a better chance of getting those vitamins.

So with that in mind, this contrasting red, white, and black meal not only looks really cool, but it offers a wider range of health benefits. And like all the meals in the Advantage Kitchen, it packs a nutritional punch to help you be your best every day.

 

Curried Lentils and Veg  1 onion, diced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups lentils (I like the black ones in this recipe, but you can use green or red if that’s what’s available)

5 cups water or vegetable stock

2 Tbsp curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 red pepper, diced

1 bag frozen riced cauliflower or cauliflower medley

  1. Make the lentils: in a pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sweat onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt and curry powder and stir until it smells up the kitchen, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the lentils and the water/stock and stir. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer until the water is absorbed and the lentils are soft.
  3. While the lentils are cooking, heat the coconut oil in a skillet and add the red pepper and cauliflower. Saute while stirring until the veggies are heated through.
  4. To serve, fill a bowl with the cauliflower and peppers, leaving a “bowl” in the middle for the lentils. Top the with lentils veggies with lentils and serve!

Want more recipes that will boost your health and performance with power packed foods? Join our Advantage Kitchen mailing list and we will get you 1 new recipe each week!

29 Mar, 2022
So far I’ve introduced a little about the “non-diet” approach , as well as the Diet Cycle , which many people find themselves stuck in when using a restrictive “diet” approach to food and health. For some of those people, the idea of eating what they love and “giving up” on diet or weight loss doesn’t seem like an option, understandably. We face a LOT of pressure, day after day, to eat “clean” and lose weight. That pressure may come from well-intentioned family, friends, and healthcare professionals who are concerned about our health (more on that later); or from fear-inducing headlines that compare sugar to poison; or from photo-shopped & face-tuned ads on Instagram of celebrities selling their flat tummy tea or shapewear. We are surrounded by Diet Culture, and are forced to engage with it- no matter if it’s coming from our loved ones, acquaintances, coworkers, or even strangers. What exactly is Diet Culture? You might have an idea just from the sound of it... Messaging that promotes diet & weight loss. Right? It’s actually more than that. Here’s a definition from Aubrey Gordon, author of “What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat”: Diet Culture: “A system of cultural beliefs and practices that equates thinness not just with health, but with moral virtue, and which advocates for weight loss at any cost. Diet culture isn’t just a matter of being on a diet, but of the social forces that make dieting (or lifestyle changes or wellness) culturally mandatory for so many of us.” The key phrases are “moral virtue” and “weight loss at any cost”. Diet culture doesn’t only convince us that weight loss is necessary (to be beautiful, to demonstrate our worth, or to be healthy); but it creates this pressure that we are MORALLY obligated to do so. In order to be perceived as good, responsible people, Diet Culture urges us to pursue weight loss at any cost- which could mean sacrificing our social life, a significant amount of money on supplements or meal replacements or programs, our emotional wellbeing, and even our physical wellbeing. Maybe diet and weight loss aren’t so healthy after all… And while this may not be everyone’s experience, we have research that demonstrates the following emotional impacts of restrictive dieting: Dieting is associated with higher anxiety levels (Kwasnicka, 2020) Dieting is associated with poorer emotional and mental quality of life (Burns etal, 2001) Dieting is linked with reduced life satisfaction (Esch and Zullig, 2013) Further, restrictive dieting has actually been found to cause weight GAIN. To be clear, weight gain is nothing to be ashamed about (bodies change!); but if the multibillion dollar diet industry is selling a diet plan for weight loss, they’re not exactly being honest about the likely outcomes. 1⁄3 to 2⁄3 regained weight within 1 year, with almost all weight regained within 5 years (1992 NIH Consensus) Most weight is gained back within 2 years and most gained back all the weight by 5 years (2013 Australian Research Council) A team of UCLA researchers reviewed 31 long term studies on the effectiveness of dieting and concluded that dieting is a consistent predictor of weight gain —up to two-thirds of the people regained more weight than they lost (Mann 2007) This quote from Weight Watchers former Finance Director sums it up pretty well:
07 Mar, 2022
Good morning! Thank you to everyone who came out to Break the Diet Cycle presentation. I hope you’re starting today feeling curious about Intuitive Eating and eager to rediscover your favorite foods in a fresh, positive way. I attached the PDFs of the presentation for you to reference, as well as the “HAES (Health at Every Size) Manifesto”, by Dr. Lindo Bacon, author of Health at Every Size. This provides a snapshot of the science behind the weight neutral approach, Health at Every Size, which Intuitive Eating is aligned with. For those of you who couldn’t attend, you may be wondering- what exactly is Intuitive Eating? As I mentioned in an earlier newsletter, Intuitive Eating is a non-diet approach to food and health. The framework consists of 10 principles to help you examine and reevaluate your beliefs & attitudes about your body, your food, physical activity, health, and more. While practicing Intuitive Eating, individuals relearn how to eat in accordance to their natural hunger and fullness cues; food cravings; energy needs, and so on. They begin to trust their body to tell them when to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat. The Ten Principles of Intuitive Eating are: 1. Reject the Diet Mentality 2. Honor Your Hunger 3. Make Peace with Food 4. Challenge the Food Police 5. Feel Your Fullness 6. Discover the Satisfaction actor 7. Cope with Your Feelings without Using Food 8. Respect Your Body 9. Exercise to Feel the Difference 10. Honor Your Health with Gentle Nutrition Intuitive Eating may seem like a straightforward concept, but in a culture that heavily promotes dieting and weight loss as a path to health, happiness, and even moral virtue, it can be hard to break out of the Diet Cycle (seen below). Also known as the “Restrict-Binge Cycle”, this eating pattern is typically kicked off by some diet thought, like “I need to lose weight” or “I need to start eating better”.
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Snack Break with Mary Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist & Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor at Advantage Strength
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